Christmas is the best time of year for a kid, but unfortunately one eight-year-old boy has already squandered his right to the most magical day on the calendar.
Leon Berriedale-Johnson racked up a debt of £3,120 GBP (approximately $3,886 USD) on his mum’s credit card, purchasing add-ons for games like Minecraft and Roblox [via The Sun].
The eight-year-old had been allowed to buy a £4.99 add-on for one of his games as a “special treat,” but his mum now claims she didn’t know her credit card details would be saved – leading to the boy’s spending spree.
Mum Martine told the publication: “I’m a single mum and I already struggle to put food on the table. But I’m always really careful with my finances. I just don’t know how I’m going to pay this bill.”
She added of her sons: “I’ve told the boys Christmas is cancelled and that they’re not getting any toys. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to afford Christmas dinner after this.”
Unfortunately, this is a story that we’re hearing over and over again. Parental settings are available for exactly this reason, though it seems parents are continuing to not use the facilities made available to them.
A spokesman for Microsoft said: “Family settings and tools enable parents to block their children from making online purchases. We review all reports, and in cases where we our investigation confirms that purchases were made by a minor without parental permission, we may decide that a one-time refund is appropriate. On this occasion, the customer has been fully refunded.”
Martine has yet to confirm whether or not she’ll un-ban Christmas for her family.
If you have kids, please make sure that you’re using the parental locks and controls available on game stores!
Featured Image Credit: Microsoft